Penang has been ranked 69th out of 402 cities globally in the 2026 Numbeo Safety Index, according to Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. The city recorded a Crime Index score of 28.9 and a Safety Index score of 71.1, reflecting public confidence in safety and security.

Chow made the announcement following a security briefing on Friday with Penang police chief Comm Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng. During the briefing, officials reported no incidents that could threaten the stability or harmony of the state. The chief minister affirmed the state government’s commitment to maintaining security and public order as a key priority.

“We want Penang to remain a state that is not only progressive in terms of its economy and development, but safe to live in, secure for families and harmonious for everyone,” Chow said in a statement. He emphasized that sustaining peace requires collaboration among the state government, law enforcement agencies, and the community.

The briefing also included state Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Zailanni Amit, head of the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department Senior Assistant Commissioner Helmi Aris, and Special Branch E4 staff officer Superintendent Reno Othman.

The Numbeo Safety Index is derived from a crowd-sourced online database that depends on user-contributed data about crime and safety worldwide. The rankings are based primarily on survey responses from visitors to the Numbeo website, who provide perceptions of crime, safety during day and night, as well as concerns about robbery, theft, physical assault, and harassment. Scores range from zero to 100, with the Safety Index calculated as the inverse of the Crime Index.

Numbeo notes that its index reflects public perception rather than official law enforcement statistics.